Odisha grounds Rs.2.53 lakh crore investment so far

Bhubaneswar, March 31 (IANS) As many as 46 industries who signed MoUs with the Odisha government have invested 2.53 lakh crore so far in the state, the assembly was told on Thursday.

“Ninety-two have inked MoUs with the state government to set up their industries with an investment of Rs.5.68 lakh crore. Of the 92 projects, 46 have commenced partial or full-scale production with an investment of Rs.2.53 lakh crore,” said Industry Minister Debi Prasad Mishra.

The 46 industries have generated employment for 152,398 people, he added.

Mishra informed that while the state government has signed MoUs with 48 steel companies, 40 companies have started production with an investment over Rs.1.2 lakh crore. These include Bhushan Steel Ltd, Bhushan Steel &amp; Power Ltd, Jindal Steel &amp; Power Ltd (JSPL), Jindal Stainless Ltd (JSL), Tata Steel and Essar Steel.

In the aluminium sector, Vedanta has started partial production from its alumina refinery at Lanjigarh and aluminium smelting facility at Jharsuguda while Hindalco Industries commenced production from its 0.36 mtpa aluminium smelter near Sambalpur.

In the power sector, Sesa Sterlite, GMR Kamalanga Energy Ltd and Jindal India Thermal Power Ltd (JITPL) have started generating power from their projects, said Mishra. In the petroleum sector, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has commissioned its 15 mmtpa oil refinery at Paradeep with an investment of Rs.34,555 crore.

The minister, however, said that six industries, out of the 92 companies, have withdrawn from their projects in the state like Bhushan Energy, Arcellor Mittal and Maharashtra Seamless.

Replying to another question, he also informed that the state government has been assured investment of Rs.70,959 crore at the Make In India week held at Mumbai recently. It has attracted investment in food processing, renewable energy, petrochemicals downstream, aluminium downstream, sugar refinery, gems and jewellery etc, he added.